Born September, 17, 1961, in Palo Alto, California. Considers Pittsford, New York, to be her hometown. Married to Christopher Wallace of Wilton, Connecticut. She enjoys theatre, tap and jazz dancing, reading, cooking, flying. Her parents, David and Helen Melroy, reside in Pittsford, New York.

EDUCATION:

Graduated from Bishop Kearney High School, Rochester, New York, in 1979. Bachelor of science degree in physics and astronomy from Wellesley College, 1983. Master of science degree in earth & planetary sciences from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1984.

ORGANIZATIONS:

Member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, the Order of Daedalians, and the 99s.

SPECIAL HONORS:

Recipient of the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster; Air Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster; Aerial Achievement Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster; and Expeditionary Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster

EXPERIENCE:

Melroy was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program in 1983. After completing a masters degree, she attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas and was graduated in 1985. She flew the KC-10 for six years at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana, as a copilot, aircraft commander and instructor pilot. Melroy is a veteran of JUST CAUSE and DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, with over 200 combat and combat support hours. In June 1991, she attended the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Upon her graduation, she was assigned to the C-17 Combined Test Force, where she served as a test pilot until her selection for the astronaut program. She has logged over 3,500 hours flight time in over 45 different aircraft.

NASA EXPERIENCE:

Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in December 1994, Melroy reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995. She has completed a year of training and evaluation and is currently qualified for assignment as a shuttle pilot. She is presently assigned to astronaut support duties for launch and landing while awaiting her first flight assignment.

NASA Group 15 - 1995 Requirement: pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights. Nickname: The Flying Escargot. Originally dubbed the 'snails' by the Hogs, because they were supposed to be the class of 1994, but the announcement was delayed a year;. They renamed themselves with the better-sounding French equivalent. More...

STS-120 Crew: Melroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli. ISS assembly mission. Delivered the Harmony module to the station, and external work moved the P6 truss to its final location and put the ISS into its full-power configuration for the first time. More...

Associated Manufacturers and Agencies

USAF American agency overseeing development of rockets and spacecraft. United States Air Force, USA. More...

Associated Programs

ISS Finally completed in 2010 after a torturous 25-year development and production process, the International Space Station was originally conceived as the staging post for manned exploration of the solar systrem. Instead, it was seemed to be the death knell of manned spaceflight. More...

The RSRM-76 solid rocket boosters separated at 23:19 GMT and main engine cut-off (MECO) came at 23:25 GMT. External tank ET-104 separated into a 74 x 323 km x 51.6 deg orbit. At apogee at 00:01 GMT on Oct 12, Discovery's OMS engines fired to raise perigee to a 158 x 322 km x 51.6 deg orbit; ET-104 re-entered over the Pacific around 00:30 GMT. At Oct 12 on 03:01 GMT the NC1 burn raised the orbit to 180 x 349 km; NC3 on Oct 12 to 311 x 375 km; and the TI burn at 14:09 GMT on Oct 13 to 375 x 381 km x 51.6 deg. Discovery's rendezvous with the International Space Station came at 15:39 GMT on Oct 13, with docking at 17:45 GMT. The spaceship docked with PMA-2, the docking port on the +Y port of the Space Station's Unity module. Hatch was open to PMA-2 at 20:30 GMT the same day.

STS-92 Cargo Manifest

Bay 1-2: Orbiter Docking System + 3 EMU spacesuits

Bay 5 Port: Adapter Beam with DDCU-HP control unit

Bay 5 Starboard: Adapter Beam with DDCU-HP control unit

Bay 7-8: Spacelab Pallet MD003 with PMA-3

Bay 10-12: ISS Z1 first segment of the space station truss

Bay 13 Adapter Beam with IMAX Cargo Bay Camera

Sill: Canadarm RMS 301

Total payload bay cargo: ca. 14,800 kg

The Z1 first segment of the space station truss was built by Boeing/Canoga Park and was 3.5 x 4.5 meters in size. It was attached to the +Z port on Unity. Z1 carried the control moment gyros, the S-band antenna, and the Ku-band antenna.

PMA-3, built by Boeing/Huntington Beach, was docked to the -Z port opposite Z1. PMA-3 was installed on a Spacelab pallet for launch.

On October 14 at 16:15 GMT the Z1 segment was unberthed from the payload bay and at around 18:20 GMT it was docked to the zenith port on the Unity module.

On October 15 at 14:20 GMT the ODS airlock was depressurised, beginning a spacewalk by Bill McArthur and Leroy Chiao. Official NASA EVA duration (battery power to repress) was 6 hours 28 minutes.

The second spacewalk was on October 16, with Jeff Wisoff and Mike Lopez-Alegria. The suits went to battery power at 14:15 GMT and Wisoff left the airlock at 14:21 GMT. Repressurisation began at 21:22 GMT for a duration of 7 hours 07minutes.

Leroy Chiao and Bill McArthur began the third STS-92 EVA at 15:30 GMT on October 17, completing their work at 22:18 GMT for a total time of 6 hours 48 minutes.

After the spacewalk, Discovery completed the second of the three station reboosts scheduled for STS-92. They fired reaction control system jets in a series of pulses of 1.4 seconds each, over a 30-minute period, gently raising the station's orbit by about 3.1 km.

The last of four successful spacewalks began on 18 October at 16:00 GMT and ended at 22:56 GMT, lasting 6 hours and 56 minutes. Jeff Wisoff and Mike Lopez-Alegria each jetted slowly through space above Discovery's cargo bay.

After the space walk, Discovery completed the third and final reboost of the space station.

On 19 October the astronauts worked within the ISS. They completed connections for the newly installed Z1 external framework structure and transferred equipment and supplies for the Expedition One first resident crew of the Station. The crew also tested the four 290-kg gyroscopes in the truss, called Control Moment Gyros, which will be used to orient the ISS as it orbits the Earth. They will ultimately assume attitude control of the ISS following the arrival of the U.S. Laboratory Destiny. The tests and the transfer of supplies into the Russian Zarya Module took longer than expected. As a result, the crew's final departure from the Station's Unity module was delayed. Melroy and Wisoff took samples from surfaces in Zarya to study the module's environment. They then unclogged the solid waste disposal system in the Shuttle's toilet, which was restored to full operation after a brief interruption in service.

Discovery undocked from the ISS at 16:08 GMT on 20 October. The final separation burn was executed about 45 minutes after undocking. The crew had added 9 tonnes to the station's mass, bringing it to about 72 tonnes. The return to earth, planned for 22 October, was delayed repeatedly due to high winds at the Kennedy landing site. The landing was finally made at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on October 24, at 22:00 GMT.

2000 October 12 - .

STS-92 Mission Status Report #03 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Chiao; Duffy; Lopez-Alegria; McArthur; Melroy; Wakata; Wisoff. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-92. The seven crew members aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery spent their first full day in orbit today checking equipment in preparation for the major events to come: docking with the International Space Station on Friday and, in following days, attaching an exterior framework and additional Shuttle docking port to the orbiting outpost. Additional Details: here....

STS-92 Mission Status Report #04 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Chiao; Duffy; Lopez-Alegria; McArthur; Melroy; Wakata; Wisoff. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-92. Summary: Discovery's astronauts were awakened this morning in preparation for their rendezvous and docking to the International Space Station after an extra hour of sleep to the sounds of "Girls Just Want To Have Fun", by Cyndi Lauper.. Additional Details: here....

2000 October 14 - .

STS-92 Mission Status Report #07 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Chiao; Duffy; Lopez-Alegria; McArthur; Melroy; Wakata; Wisoff. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-92. The crew of Discovery added nine tons of critical equipment to the International Space Station today, attaching a framework that holds motion control gyroscopes and communications equipment and that will serve as a support for a giant set of solar arrays to be launched on the next Space Shuttle flight. Additional Details: here....

2000 October 14 - .

STS-92 Mission Status Report #06 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Chiao; Duffy; Lopez-Alegria; McArthur; Melroy; Wakata; Wisoff. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-92. Discovery's crew is set to install the first of two major components that it carried to the Space Station today - a unique piece of hardware called the Z1 truss. The truss is an exterior framework that houses gyroscopes and communications equipment and later will serve as a mounting platform for large solar arrays that will provide power to the International Space Station. Additional Details: here....

STS-92 Mission Status Report #14 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Duffy; Lopez-Alegria; Melroy; Wakata; Wisoff. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-92. Mission Specialists Jeff Wisoff and Mike Lopez-Alegria will team up once again today to conduct the final of four consecutive space walks designed to set the stage for the arrival of the first resident crew next month and the future expansion of the International Space Station. Additional Details: here....

STS-92 Mission Status Report #16 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Chiao; Duffy; McArthur; Melroy; Wakata; Wisoff. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-92. Following four consecutive days of on-orbit construction outside the International Space Station, Discovery's astronauts today will work inside the Unity and Zarya modules, completing some final connections for the new Z1 Truss and transferring equipment for use by the first resident crew, slated to arrive early next month. Additional Details: here....

2000 October 22 - .

STS-92 Mission Status Report #24 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Chiao; Duffy; Lopez-Alegria; McArthur; Melroy; Ross; Wakata; Wisoff. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-92. Discovery's astronauts prepared for a Monday landing after high crosswinds at Kennedy Space Center caused a delay of at least one day in their return to Earth and the end of their successful mission to expand the International Space Station and ready it for its first crew. Additional Details: here....

2000 October 24 - .

STS-92 Mission Status Report #28 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Chiao; Duffy; Lopez-Alegria; McArthur; Melroy; Ross; Wakata; Wisoff. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-92. Discovery glided to a textbook landing under sunny skies at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Tuesday, completing a successful mission to the International Space Station. The crew spent more than two extra days in space because of unfavorable weather at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and at Edwards. Additional Details: here....

International Space Station Status Report #02-44 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby; Bowersox; Budarin; Korzun; Magnus; Melroy; Pettit; Sellers; Whitson; Wolf; Yurchikhin. Program: ISS. Flight: ISS EO-5. An unmanned Russian resupply craft successfully docked to the International Space Station Sunday, bringing almost a ton of food, fuel and supplies to the residents on board, and for the next trio of space travelers, which will arrive on the ISS in November. Additional Details: here....

STS-112 MCC Status Report #04 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby; Korzun; Magnus; Melroy; Sellers; Whitson; Wolf; Yurchikhin. Program: ISS. Flight: ISS EO-5; STS-112. A rendezvous in space awaits Space Shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station this morning with docking expected at 10:24 a.m. Central time. The shuttle's six crewmembers are the first visitors for the station's Expedition Five crew since it arrived aboard the station in early June. The week of joint operations begins when the hatches are opened about 12:30 p.m. Television of the approach, docking and hatch opening is expected on NASA TV. Additional Details: here....

2002 October 9 - .

STS-112 MCC Status Report #05 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby; Korzun; Magnus; Melroy; Sellers; Whitson; Wolf; Yurchikhin. Program: ISS. Flight: ISS EO-5; STS-112. The crew of the International Space Station welcomed the first visitors to its home in space today when the hatch between the space station and the space shuttle Atlantis was opened at 11:51 a.m. CDT. Hugs and smiles, backslapping and laughter marked the elated celebration as the shuttle crew entered the International Space Station and greeted the expedition crew. Earlier, guided by Commander Jeff Ashby, Atlantis made a picture-perfect rendezvous and docked with the station at 10:17 a.m. at the end of a chase that began with its launch at 2:46 p.m. on Monday. With the crewmembers merged into a single team, they went to work on preparations for the mission's busiest day tomorrow. Additional Details: here....

STS-112 MCC Status Report #08 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Korzun; Magnus; Melroy; Sellers; Whitson; Wolf; Yurchikhin. Program: ISS. Flight: ISS EO-5; STS-112. With a major milestone of the STS-112 mission behind them, Space Shuttle Atlantis and International Space Station crewmembers will have a quieter day today. Following some time off to relax, the joint crews later will begin transferring equipment and supplies to the orbiting laboratory. Additional Details: here....

2002 October 11 - .

STS-112 MCC Status Report #09 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby; Korzun; Magnus; Melroy; Sellers; Wolf; Yurchikhin. Program: ISS. Flight: ISS EO-5; STS-112. After a very busy day Thursday, the combined shuttle and space station crew took several hours of off-duty time today, and then began transfer operations between the vehicles and preparations for the second of the mission's three spacewalks scheduled to begin at 9:41 a.m. Saturday. Additional Details: here....

STS-112 MCC Status Report #17 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby; Magnus; Melroy; Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: ISS EO-5; STS-112. Space shuttle and International Space Station crew members enjoyed a final evening meal together Tuesday after a day of activities aimed at relaxing after a challenging week of joint operations and making final preparations for Atlantis' undocking and departure tomorrow. Additional Details: here....

2002 October 16 - .

STS-112 MCC Status Report #18 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Husband; Melroy. Program: ISS. Flight: ISS EO-5; STS-112. With their week's worth of work completed, astronauts and cosmonauts aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station bid farewell to one another and closed the hatches in preparation for the shuttle's undocking scheduled for 8:13 this morning. Additional Details: here....

2002 October 16 - .

STS-112 MCC Status Report #19 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby; Korzun; Magnus; Melroy; Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: ISS EO-5; STS-112. Following an emotional farewell, the crews of Atlantis and the International Space Station closed the hatches of their spacecraft concluding a week of joint operations, that saw the transfer of about 1,800 pounds of supplies and hardware to the station, and the addition of the 15 ton, 45-foot long Starboard One (S1) truss segment continuing the station's expansion. Additional Details: here....